Assessment
Assessment takes the form of question papers and directed report writing. The reports are designed to test the student’s ability to understand the modules as a whole. The question papers are designed to test the student's understanding of the individual concepts within the lessons. The reports (3 in total) represent 70% of the total mark, the questions papers (12 in total) representing the remaining 30%.
Ornithology Learning Objectives
Lesson One
· To enable the student to understand the technique of thermal soaring, its relevance to the lifestyles of certain birds, and to appreciate the types of birds that might utilise the technique
· To demonstrate to the student what environmental factors are required for thermal soaring to occur
· To explore the phenomena of slope soaring and the environmental factors required for it to occur
· To develop within the student, an understanding of dynamic soaring and an appreciation of the importance this has to seabird life
· To enable the student to understand the selection pressures behind feather development
· To introduce the student to basic wing structure
· To develop within the student an understanding of the ‘aspect ratio’ and how it can relate to lifestyle
· To enable the student to understand the role of brood patch’s, and the relevance of feathers in insulation
· To introduce the student to the component types of avian muscle and their relevance to lifestyle
Lesson Two
· To enable the student to understand the principles behind binocular and monocular vision
· To demonstrate to the student the requirements of predatory and prey birds in respect to monocular and binocular vision
· To enable the student to understand the anatomical differences between mammalian and avian eyes
· To introduce the student to the role of the pecten and the nictitating membrane in avian vision
· To develop an appreciation of the adaptations that have enabled owls to sense prey nocturnally
· To enable the student to appreciate the role of the elongated fovea in certain aspects of seabird navigation
Lesson Three
· The student will be introduced to ‘Bernoulli’s Principle as applied to avian flight and wing structure
· To enable the student to appreciate how some engineering principles did not necessarily apply to birds
· To an appreciation of the technique of ‘clapping’ in order to initiate flight
· To understand the presence of the two types of vortices in avian flight and their relevance to different to different flight speeds.
Lesson Four
· To enable the student to understand the term instinct
· To demonstrate to the student the terms social releaser and sign stimuli in relation to instinct
· To develop an understanding of associative and none associative learning
· To enable the student to appreciate the roles of filial and sexual imprinting in regards to avian survival
· To create awareness as to the role of cultural behaviour in the avian class
· To enable the student to appreciate the relevance of imitation in bird song
· To develop an understanding of how play can be important to more intelligent bird species
Lesson Five
· To enable the student to understand the role of Archeopteryx in the development of the evolutionary theories
· To demonstrate to the student the selection pressures that gave rise to feather development
· To development an understanding of the biological time scales involved with speciation
· To enable the student to understand the role of speciation in creating diversity on earth
· To enable the student to understand the key feature of avian classification and binomial nomenclature
Lesson 6
· To appreciate the components of conservation, and how they help in developing an approach to conservation problems.
· To understand the consequences and reasons behind direct persecution.
· To appreciate the challenges facing the conservation of the golden eagle.
· To appreciate the reasons behind indirect persecution.
· To understand how the approach’s to indirect persecution that are developing
· To understand the relevance of pesticide usage in the realm of avian conservation.
· To understand (with historical examples) how the Aves that inhabit the higher realms of the food chain are particularly effected by pesticide pollution.
· To appreciate how DDT has taken such a marked effect on certain avian populations.
· To understand how habitat destruction can effect conservation.
· To understand the basic principles behind the different approach’s of autoecology and synecology.
Lesson 7
· To appreciate the basic categories of hunting techniques utilised by the raptors.
· To understand how the peregrine falcon utilises speed and power in its hunting.
· To appreciate ambush strategy with reference to the sparrowhawks techniques.
· To understand the strategies involved in hovering as a hunting technique and how tail length can reflect the development of such techniques.
· To appreciate low level attack as a form of hunting.
· To understand how birds use different techniques and adaptations in hunting snakes and fish.
· To appreciate the adaptations (anatomically and behaviourally) of the vultures for soaring and eating.
Lesson 8
· To appreciate the three broad categories of wildfowl and seabird feeders?
· To understand the reasons and principles behind surface feeding
· To appreciate the different feeding methods used in the surface feeders at sea.
· To understand the differing feeding depths and consequential co-existence of the underwater feeders.
· To appreciate the skills and techniques of the wildfowl divers.
· To understand the techniques used in the marine divers.
· To appreciate the skills and adaptations required in the varying types of feeding.
· To appreciate the foraging techniques of the land feeders.
· To understand the principles of social facilitation and local enhancement, and their place in avian feeding.
Lesson 9
· To understand the term sexual selection and recognise how it can impact upon bird populations
· To understand gamete production and the differences between sex’s.
· To appreciate dimorphism as a consequence of sexual selection.
· To understand Intersexual rivalry and the theories behind the phenomena
· To appreciate bird song as a means of mate selection.
· To appreciate the relevance of flight displays in courtship.
Lesson 10
· To appreciate the four primary methods used in avian navigation.
· To understand the relevance of magnetic sense and the experiments that aided its discovery.
· To appreciate the limitations of using the earth’s magnetic field as a navigational aid.
· To understand the principles of sun navigation, and intention movement.
· To appreciate the development and use of the star compass in avian migration.
· To understand the importance of landmark navigation in the birds.
Lesson 11
· To understand polygamy and the subheadings of polygyny and polyandry.
· To understand the term monogamy and appreciate the circumstances underwhich it becomes the most viable method of reproduction.
· To appreciate that co-operative breeding occurs and to appreciate why some birds have helpers at the nest, and some exhibit communal nesting.
· To understand the phenomena of brood parasitism and egg recognition.
Lesson 12
· To understand that animals are influenced by rhythmic indicators.
· To appreciate the circadian rhythm as an influential marker of the seasons.
· To understand that differing levels of the hormone melatonin can influence reproductive behaviour.
· To understand that birds are often long day breeders, and appreciate what this means.
· To understand the presence of a circannual rhythm in birds and appreciate its place in avian lifestyle.
· To understand the pineal gland as an integral part of the reproductive process.
· To appreciate the term zietgeber and understand its relevance.
